Sexual Harassment Working Group Calls For More Hearings

Last month state lawmakers held the first public hearing on sexual harassment and assault in state government.

The group that successfully pushed for that hearing now says there should be more hearings to further address the issue.

The Sexual Harassment Working Group, a committee of former legislative aides who are survivors and victims of harassment and abuse while working in state government, is calling for at least two more hearings: One in New York City and another in Albany.

The first hearing lasted 11 hours, discussing both broad-based harassment culture, a discussion of regulatory changes as well as the personal stories of those who have experienced assault and harassment first hand.

But the group pointed out in a statement that many people who had wanted to testify at the February were not able to do so.

“The Sexual Harassment Working Group is grateful to the Senate and the Assembly for finally listening to advocates and experts, rather than prioritizing political expediency,” the group said in a statement.

“That’s why we need more public hearings to guarantee the deliberative process we all agree real reform requires. The Legislature must commit to at least two more hearings — one in New York City and another one in Albany — so lawmakers can hear from the many more workers emboldened to come forward, and truly craft the strongest laws in the nation.”

Holding at least two more hearings would allow more people to testify from additional government departments, including the Division of Human Rights, the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations and the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

In recent days, the group has sought to highlight the state Senate and Assembly budget proposals that include support for working with “advocates to pass a comprehensive, deliberative and focused legislative solution outside of the budget process.”

One bill introduced after the Feb. 13 hearing would end the use of the “severe or pervasive” standard in determining sexual harassment cases.

The group has also sought to spotlight lobbying firms who have hired those accused of sexual harassment to lobby state officials.

The group has since grown from seven to eight public members, with several members remaining private as well.

This entry was posted by Nick Reisman on March 14, 2019 at 5:46 am, and is filed under Albany. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.